Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-31
discovering the Sphinx.

Umc0vefinR the Sphinx.
INTERESTING THINGS ALREADY BROUGHT 10 LIGHT.
From the London Times
The last occasion on which the Great
Sphinx was cleared down to the level on
which the paws rest was in honor OF the
opening OF the Suez canal In 1869. The
ever drifting sands had, however, reburied II
almost to the throat when Prot. Maspero, during
his last year of Office at Bouak, began again the
work OF disinterment. This work has now been
twelve months, and is at the present time In
active progress under the direction OF Prof
M Ma s. successor NJ Grebaut tramway
tne Pyramid plateau, passing close under the west
face Of the granite building popularity, though
Along this tramway light trucks convey the
sand to the point at which their contents dis
charged, the trucks being loaded by Arabs OF
their heads in large hat baskets, ascending and
descending all day long from the excavations be-
o@ 70 fo oe cnr"v apose and vice versa ,
are astonishing Already the entire fore part OF
the great stone monster is laid bare, and already
the huge chest, the paws. the space between the
paws, the altar In front OF them and the platform
upon which they rest are once more open to the
light OF day. Nor is this all Between the Sphinx
and the edge OF the Pyramid plateau vast space
has also been cleared. thus bringing to view fine
flight OF steps, some forty feet In width. These
uncovered by Caviglia in 1917. but have been en-
rely lost to sight for nearly seventy years. sec
ond flight OF steps and the Remains OF two Ro-
win again be brought to light If N. Grebaut con-
tinues to work in this direction.
To the right OF the SphinX-that Is to say, in
the direction OF the granite temple to the SOUTH
ward-a further excavation is in progress the re-
suit OF which Will probably confirm the surmises
midst OF a huge artificial amphitheater hewn out
OF the sold rock. This gigantic work would, OF
course be contemporaneous with the Sphinx it
sell, which Marietta attributed to the mythic ages
before the advent OF Mena the first king of the
first dynasty, and which Maspero considers to be,
IL not actually prehistoric at all events the old
From the level OF The area below the great flight
OF steps (Which lead down, and not up, to the
bpninA Une now measures the whole height OF the
nuge human headed monster, whose battered
countenance stands out against the cloudless sky
100 feat above. The space between the paws is
I'D Ieet long ana 10 feet wide This space was an
ciently converted into a small Sanctuary lined
Win fOtlve tablets, only one OF which-the famous
steia OF Ihothmes iV-yet remains in stu. This
hunting expeditions, lay down to rest at midday
In The shadow OF the Sphinx. He there fell asleep
i anu areamed dream In which the venerable
image cohlured him to clear away the sand Ia
which 1T was nearly buried Then the prince
aw on ana made silence in bis heart, and vowed
W 40 mat winch the god had commanded.
The paws or the Sphinx, as they now appear.
are restoration OF Roman date, being cased in
comparatively small slabs. and to some extent
nOloW underneath. The breast OF the Sphinx has
likewise been laced with slabs, apparently in Ro-
man times; and these slabs have again been re-
pa pan ny cutting away the weathered surface
ana inserting fresh facing Like the legs OF the
Coossi OF The Plain and those OF the great statues
at Apoo Slmbel, the paws OF the Sphinx are COW
cred with the Greek Scrawls of early travellers;
out these 9rdGi-tt are mostly OF late period and
SO slightly scratched that few are legibe through
has, 1t Is understood, devoted himself TO the un-
grateful and difficult task Of translating them.
NJ GTetsiut'S excavations are not limited to the
ing tombS have lately been discovered in the vi
cihlty OF the great Pyramid, and TO the westward
tne race or the L1byan cliff has been reached
where IL forms the natural boundary OF the Pyra-
ma plateau. Some good early rock-cut tombs,
with Du!lt fore-eourtS, have been found In the
lace Oh this Gill, in Two OF which the walled-up
feceSSeS or secret chambers. called "serdabS, "
Wnlcn We're constructed Tor the Safe-keepng of
Itinerary portrait statues, are Vt intact with
their contents